British company to launch "super bug tester" into UK hospitals

ANGLE plc has announced that Acolyte Biomedica Ltd, the company it founded in 1999, expects to launch its MRSA 'superbug' ultra-rapid test into hospitals in the UK in Q1 2005.

MRSA is the first test to be developed from Acolyte’s BacLite® testing platform. BacLite reduces the time for identifying both the type of bacteria and, more importantly, the antibiotic sensitivity of the bacteria from the current 3-4 day standard to just 2-5 hours. This time advantage will mean clinicians will be able to treat, much more effectively, serious bacterial infections and prevent potentially fatal complications, such as sepsis and septic shock, from developing.

The technology was initially developed by Dstl at Porton Down for the detection of biological weapons in the field. The commercial potential for the technology was identified by ANGLE consultants, which subsequently led ANGLE to establish Acolyte in 1999 to exclusively commercialise technology for the rapid diagnosis of bacterial infection, with simultaneous identification of antibiotic sensitivity. Recently, Acolyte Biomedica was praised by the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, as a leading example of biotechnology companies the UK urgently needs.

A recent study by researchers from St George’s Hospital in London and the Health Protection Agency found MRSA infection rates have increased 19-fold between 1990 and 2001. The study focused on MRSA rates in children up to 15 years of age: in 1991 four cases of MRSA were reported but in 2001, the numbers had increased to 77.

Infants under the age of one accounted for 53% of all cases. Not only is MRSA infection potentially a serious illness in its own right but also there are fears that it could render other antibiotics used to treat childhood conditions such as impetigo, useless. Infection with multi-resistant bacteria like MRSA can be more difficult to treat and can lead to longer stays in hospital with higher levels of morbidity and mortality.

The launch of BacLite into hospitals in the UK will provide leading edge care to thousands of patients throughout the country. It is currently estimated that each year, approximately 5 million tests are carried out in the UK alone to determine the presence of MRSA in patients, while 3 times this number are performed in the USA. In this respect, Acolyte further anticipates beginning the process, with a partner, to obtain FDA 510(k) clearance to market the product in the USA in 2005.

The current market for diagnostic clinical microbiology which could be accessed by Acolyte is estimated to exceed £1.3 billion, worldwide. The test itself is based on ultra-high sensitivity technology that permits the measurement of live bacteria present in specimens at extremely low numbers.

By eliminating the need for several days of culturing to expand bacterial numbers, the technology could potentially save thousands of lives as well as reduce the high costs to public health systems of MRSA infections specifically, and sepsis and septic shock generally.